THE SPRINGFIELDS

Today I received the compilation "On An Island Of Dreams" by The Springfields in the mail. 

I had discovered this group several years ago after receiving the music CD series, "The Time-Life Treasury Of Folk."  I have since sold it, but it contained the group's only US Top 40 single, "Silver Threads And Golden Needles" (#20 Pop, 1962, Billboard), a song I only knew by Linda Ronstadt at the time.

I was interested in a disc by The Springfields, but only came across a compilation which is apparently a rarity as the copies I found were priced at $25 or higher.  I wasn't sure I wanted to pay that much to try an unfamiliar artist out.  A catalog I recently received from Collectors' Choice Music listed "On An Island Of Dreams" as a new import in their stock.  They wanted nearly $30 for it, but I found a new copy at Amazon for under $12 and snagged it.

The folk trio consisted of famed vocalist Dusty Springfield with her brother Tom as well as two different third members, Tim Field (left in 1961) and Mike Hurst. 

According to Wikipedia, they have the distinction of being the first British act to crack the US Top 20 (fifteen months before The Beatles, incidentally).

"On An Island Of Dreams" is comprised of the trio's first two albums, "Kinda Folksy" (1962) and "Folk Songs From The Hill" (1963).  Both of these were released on the Phillips label in the UK.  The remainder of the set includes non-album singles and songs from various mini-albums.

One other song inlcuded that I was familiar with before buying this set was "Far Away Places."  It's played on a station at Pandora's website I based on another European favorite, The New Seekers.  There is also "Dear Hearts And Gentle People" which became The Springfields' only other US chart single reaching #95 (1962, Billboard).

These singers also display a terrific bilingual side with such Spanish numbers as "Eso Es El Amor" and "Tzena Tzena Tzena."

I've made it through the first disc in the set as of now, but with a bit of a problem.  The last song will not play on either my stereo or laptop.  I hope that I can fix this.  I'm looking forward to the second disc!